In anticipation of the iconic cup clash the official Melbourne Cup 2013 field of final acceptors along with the all-important Melbourne Cup barrier draw will be announced and conducted live this Saturday, November 2, from Flemington.

All the Melbourne Cup field announcement action is set to take place directly after the last Victoria Derby Day race has been run and won for the afternoon.

2013 Melbourne Cup final acceptances close at 4:30pm (AEST).

After that the Melbourne Cup field and barrier draw will be announced from 5:30pm (AEST).

There are officially still 47 stayers in the mix for the Melbourne Cup field following second acceptances, which has a capacity 24 starters.

The fight is on then for those sitting outside of the top 24 in the Melbourne Cup order of entry to make the field.

Event number 23 (Simenon) and 24 (Mr Moet) are not guaranteed a run if accepted as two horses offering a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption to the winner run on Derby Day with the $1 million Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) and the $300,000 Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m).

There are a number of notable chances sweating on Derby Day results to go their way and a decent attrition rate at final acceptance stage then including last year’s fourth placegetter Kelinni (25th), the fellow Chris Waller-trained Moriarty (28th), Peter Moody’s Geelong Cup winner Ibicenco (26th) and Bart Cummings’ chance at an 88th Melbourne Cup runner Precedence (29th).

The latest Melbourne Cup betting markets meanwhile are led by the Luca Cumani-trained Mount Athos ($7.50) who has over taken Gai Waterhouse’s best chance of a maiden Melbourne Cup winner in Fiorente ($8).